1.  Quarterback Mackenzi Adams said Monte Kiffin’s current defense “is pretty much completely different” from the John Chavis defenses of previous years.

2.  As we told you during the SEC coaches’ teleconference, Bobby Johnson said of Tennessee: “They play extremely hard.  They play with a lot of pride, and I think that’s a huge step up from last year in general attitude.”

3.  Tomorrow’s game will feature a number of players from Tennessee’s Smyrna High School.

4.  Vandy’s lineup isn’t even close to the one that started the Commodores’ season opener.

5.  In basketball news, whne AJ Ogilvy takes on St. Mary’s tonight, he’ll know the school and its personnel.

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1.  Adding final injury to insult (and yes, that’s how I mean it), cornerback Myron Lewis has suffered a torn meniscus in his knee and will be out for the Tennessee game.  (Linebacker Patrick Benoist might not play, either.)

What an unbelievable run of injuries for the Commodores this year.

2.  If Vandy can slow Tennessee’s run game, they’ll then blitz away at Jonathan Crompton.

3.  This writer believes Vandy can beat UT if their offense finds a way to move the ball and if the Vols turn in “another no-show by the Tennessee D.”

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* Vandy had “an excellent practice yesterday.”  “We’re ready to go.”

* Warren Norman’s season has “been pretty special.”  Norman has a knack for finding holes which fits well with the type of runs Vandy calls.  “We’re very pleased with how he’s played and I think he’ll just get better and better.”

* Mackenzi Adams “played very well” in the first half against Kentucky, partly because the ‘Dores’ offensive line played better.  In second half, Adams started “rushing throws and missing some open people” because he wasn’t as well protected.

* The question of the week will be about helmets popping off, apparently.  “We do cringe” when helmets pop off.  “You just got to makes sure that your helmet fits perfectly.” 

* Linebacker Chris Marve “has got a lot of energy and plays extremely hard.”  Marve plays through pain and does all the things you’d expect “from a great linebacker.”  His effort is the key to his success.

* Tennessee plays “extremely hard” which is “a huge step up from last year’s general attitude.”  Jonathan Crompton has done “a fantastic job” of improving from last year.  “Defensively they’ve had one bad game.”  “They’re gonna have a run game that we’re gonna have to contend with and also their play-action passing game is one of the best in the conference.

* The keys to beating Tennessee will be 1) keep the ball away from them, 2) stay in manageable third down situations, and 3) stop the run.

* The fact that Vandy has had some success at Neyland Stadium won’t make much difference once the game starts.

*  Inconsistent receiver play and injuries on the offensive line have hurt Vandy all season.

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1.  A lack of depth and a lack of offense have led this year’s Vandy squad to look a lot like Bobby Johnson’s first VU team back in 2002.

2.  According to this notes column, the Commodores haven’t been able to stop the SEC’s best running backs this year.  Saturday they’ll face another one in UT’s Montario Hardesty.

3.  In roundball news, here’s more from Kevin Stallings on Monday night’s win over David Lipscomb.

4.  Outside shooting doesn’t figure to be a problem for the ‘Dores this year.

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1.  This notes column covers Vandy’s declining run defense and yet another big injury to their defensive unit.

2.  On the basketball front, Vanderbilt struggled against David Lipscomb before pulling away to win 95-73.  (And for those not in the know, David Lipscomb is a school, not a person.)

3.  AJ Ogilvy joined Will Perdue last night as the only Commodores in history to score 1,000 points and block 100 shots in a career.

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1.  The Commodores are in the midst of their first seven-game losing streak since 2003.

2.  In basketball news, a roster packed with returnees has raised expectations for Vandy.

3.  Kevin Stallings thinks his “guys should have a much greater understanding of what the other guy’s getting ready to do.”

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Former Alcoa star and all-purpose back Randall Cobb ran 14 times out of the formation and burned Vanderbilt for big gains several times in Kentucky’s 24-13 victory.
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Randall Cobb ran for two touchdowns, Derrick Locke rushed for a career-high 144 yards and a touchdown, and Kentucky beat Vanderbilt 24-13 Saturday to become bowl eligible for a school record fourth straight year.
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As part of Senior Day, Vanderbilt will honor 24 players before its game with Kentucky.
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1.  According to this notes column, cornerback Myron Lewis might miss the Kentucky game due to the blurred vision caused by a corneal ulcer.  Yeesh.

2.  Vandy has run the ball well against non-conference foes.  Not so well against SEC defenses.  No surprise there.

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1.  Vandy’s defenders are gearing up to try and stop Kentucky’s Mr. Everything, Randall Cobb.

2.  In basketball news, Vandy signed three players yesterday as part of the early signing period.

3.  Included in that bunch is 6-9 forward Rod Odom who flipped from Arizona to the Commodores last week.

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Notes from Bobby Johnson’s teleconference:

* Vandy is playing their 11th straight game “and it’s been wearing on us pretty good.”  VU had a good practice yesterday.

* Johnson got a good look at Warren Norman in one of his camps.  “Did we expect him to be this good, this early?  Probably not. … He’s had a fantastic year.” 

* Warren says he never returned a kick for a touchdown in high school.  He’s brought back three this year.  Johnson said Vandy’s special teams coach has tweaked the ‘Dores return scheme each week to find Norman opportunities.

* There was a long question about players who are in graduate school.  Sorry, but I don’t care about the question (don’t think Johnson did, either).

* Asked what makes Florida’s kick coverage good, Johnson said they’ve got big, fast players.  He also pointed out that “you don’t return one every week.”

* “Adam Smotherman has done a tremendous job on the defensive line for us.”  Being healthy has helped him. 

* Johnson said his team is still motivated.

* Argh… two-sport athletes… blah, blah, blah.  “We haven’t had too many over the years.”  Football and baseball is the easiest sports to mix together.

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1.  John Cole looks forward to getting a shot at his home state Kentucky Wildcats this weekend.  Vandy’s leading receiver was a Somerset Briar Jumper… which might be my favorite sports nickname ever.

2.  Defensive tackle Greg Billinger is quietly having a good year for the ‘Dores.

3.  This writer believes the SEC needs to listen to Bobby Johnson when he talks about the league’s new gag order for coaches.

4.  In basketball news, VU dumped Alabama-Huntsville 91-56 last night.

5.  Kevin Stallings was happy with the Commodores’ first live action.

6.  The outside shooting of freshman John Jenkins was a positive.

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1.  Last year, Vandy was able to score when it got in the red zone.  This year — when it does get there — the Commodore offense can’t convert.

2.  If VU doesn’t beat Kentucky or Tennessee in their remaining two games, these ‘Dores will be the first since 2002 to go winless in conference play.

3.  Bobby Johnson feels that coaches should be allowed to disagree with calls as long as they’re respectful.

“Obviously, if you just abuse somebody, you have to take some kind of action.  But I think we ought to have the opportunity to say, ‘I disagree with a call,’ and not be fined.  You can’t say, ‘Well, I think he did it on purpose,’ or, ‘I think it’s a conspiracy.’  But if I think it was a bad call, I ought to be able to say it was a bad call.  I guess I can’t.”

I agree with Johnson.  But because Bobby Petrino, Dan Mullen and Lane Kiffin did cross the line, Mike Slive brought out the big bat.  Which means everything is silenced.

As I wrote last week, the commissioner needs to put out a memo of clarification explaining exactly what is and isn’t kosher when it comes to discussing officials’ calls and how each different type of transgression will be punished.

4.  In basketball news, AJ Ogilvy will be trying to get his timing back when Vandy plays Alabama-Huntsville tomorrow night.

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1.  Kentucky could have more healthy bodies and the motivation of playing for a bowl bid when they face Vandy on Saturday.

2.  Against Florida, Warren Norman set the SEC record for the most kickoff return yardage in a season… and he’s still got two games left to play.

3.  Asked if his defense had earned some respect with its performance against Florida, Bobby Johnson said: “Respectability for whom?  I don’t really care.  Just the people in our dressing room and our university is all I care about.  I don’t care what other people think about us.”

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Mackenzi Adams takes his happy-go-lucky approach to Gainesville for his first start of the year as Vanderbilt faces No. 1 Florida.
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1.  Vandy will have to stop Tim Tebow tomorrow… who’s still barely in the lead in most Heisman Trophy polls.

2.  Bobby Johnson knows that will be tough.  “You see people try to tackle him, it’s tough to get him on the ground, and then he’s deceptively fast.”

3.  On the hardwood, Kevin Stallings wants Jermaine Beal to start being a vocal leader for the Commodores.

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1.  In case you’ve been trapped under something heavy, it turns out Brandon Spikes is suspending himself for the full game with Vanderbilt on Saturday.

2.  Joe Biddle of The Tennessean believes Spikes was right to sit out the full game, but he still hammers Spikes and Urban Meyer for Poke-gate.

3.  Vandy tailback/kick returner Warren Norman is in contention for the SEC’s Freshman of the Year award.

4.  Bobby Johnson tried to explain yesterday why Norman is so good returning kicks (he has three TDs on the season).

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Notes from Bobby Johnson’s teleconference:

* Vandy has “started the week out very well.” 

* “We have a lot of confidence in” Mackenzi Adams.

* Only one other player in SEC history has run back three kicks in a season (Tennessee’s Willie Gault).  Warren Norman doesn’t do a lot of dancing with the ball, he just makes his cuts and goes.

* Johnson said he’s only had one other year (at Furman) when his team has been hit with so many injuries.  “Probably with the same results.”

* Johnson likes what he’s seen from the freshmen he’s had to play this year.  “Hopefully it’ll pay off for us next year.”

* He thinks Larry Smith can eventually be “an excellent quarterback.”

* Vandy recruits players by offering the chance to play against the best teams in America… and by offering a great education.

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1.  New quarterback Mackenzi Adams knows he’ll be in the sights of Florida defensive ends Carlos Dunlap and Jermaine Cunningham on Saturday.

2.  Vandy has played seven true freshmen this year, which is more than Bobby Johnson had used in two previous seasons combined.

3.  In basketball news, AJ Ogilvy was back at practice yesterday… apparently over his concussion symptoms.

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1.  Bobby Johnson sounds confident in new quarterback Mackenzi Adams’ ability.  “He knows our offense, and it won’t take him long to get up to speed.”

2.  According to this notes column, Vandy has fallen all the way to 11th in the SEC in rush defense.

3.  Tailback Zac Stacy disagrees with Johnson’s assessment that the freshman might require surgery on his balky ankle in the offseason.

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The MRI results are in and they have confirmed what Bobby Johnson feared.

“(Larry Smith has) got some tearing in his hamstring, so I don’t expect to see Larry back this year playing for us.

“The best prognosis I’ve heard is 4 to 6 weeks.  We’ve had guys who tweaked hamstrings that have not come back in four weeks, so this is pretty significant.”

Mackenzi Adams will take over the starting role after playing fairly well when he relieved Smith against Georgia Tech last Saturday.

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1.  Quarterback Larry Smith has “a pretty severe strain and possibly a tear” of his left hamstring… which means Mackenzi Adams will be the ‘Dores’ new starter.

2.  Despite improvements on offense — under both Smith and Adams — Vandy gave the game away with turnovers.

3.  Vandy also couldn’t contain Georgia Tech’s option late in the game.

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The final score was frightening, as Georgia Tech used its powerful running game to wear down Vanderbilt’s defense in a 56-31 win over the Commodores.
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Stopping Georgia Tech’s running game, which ranks No. 2 nationally, is a frightening task for any team, especially a struggling one like Vanderbilt.
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